Departments



Articles

Less

Editorial: What Have We Learned?
September 3rd, 2005

Editorial: Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace
August 17th, 2005

Editorial: What Is a Consultant to Do?
July 5th, 2005

Editorial: Six Land Use Petitions in Play
June 25th, 2005

Editorial: Poaching & Plagiarism
June 13th, 2005

Editorial: Upward and Onward in 2005
May 24th, 2005

Editorial: Farewell Maureen
May 17th, 2005

Editorial: Speaking About Speak Out
May 10th, 2005

Editorial: Informed Voters Wanted
March 26th, 2005

Editorial: Health Needs Survey Well Received
February 12th, 2005

Editorial: Fire Protection, Fire Insurance and Tax Justice
January 25th, 2005

Editorial: Cedar Key Health Service Survey
January 14th, 2005

Editorial: New Year`s Resolution
December 31st, 2004

Editorial: Do We Need Better Healthcare in Cedar Key?
December 16th, 2004

Editorial: Help Defend Us
October 29th, 2004

More

The East-West Management Plan

The East-West Management Plan

Editorial

The East-West Management Plan, contrary to what one might assume, is not a plan to bring peace to Iraq. The plan is a new way to protect the public from shellfish poisoning while avoiding unnecessary closure of shellfish harvest in areas where there is no danger.

Shellfish harvest can be closed because of excessive rainwater runoff, excessive bacteria in the water or harmful algae blooms. Harmful algae blooms include "red tide."

Red Tide is a population explosion of a toxic dynoflagellate alga, which is concentrated by shellfish and poisonous to humans. The population explosions result from nutrients that fertilize marine waters. The sources of the nutrients include runoff following hurricanes, coastal real estate developments and pulp mill waste dumped in the Gulf of Mexico. Offshore blooms blow into shellfish areas and cause closures.

The State of Florida, Division of Aquaculture has developed the East-West Management Plan to deal with red tide, following federal guidelines. If the numbers of red tide algae reach a threshold in a given area, harvest is closed. When the numbers fall below the threshold and the shellfish meat is found toxin free the area is reopened. The East-West Management Plan is a refinement of the monitoring area map for red tide management.

The new monitoring plan is designed to keep shellfish harvesting open as much as possible while avoiding an unhealthy seafood product. The plan, which was announced December 14, is an example of government regulators working with the industry they regulate. Now, let's get the government regulators (The Department of Environmental Protection) to help cut down on dumping red tide producing nutrients into the Gulf of Mexico. The DEP can and should stop pulp mill waste from being dumped into the Gulf.

Click for printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend

 

 

© 2013
Cedar Key News

cedarkeynews@gmail.com